Mail-conveyer.



J. BILICK.

MAIL CONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30. I917.

1,256,%32. Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

' J. Bu vmm as s. W

OHN B LIGK, OF CHI IL INOIS.

MAIL-CONVEYEE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JO N Brnrc r, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, residing at Chicago, in the county of- Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Mail-Conveyor; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' The present invention relates-to a mail conveyer, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby mail can be carried back and forth between the houses and the road without the necessity of making a special trip when it is desired to receive mail from the carrier or deliver mail to him.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a mail conveyer which is simple and inexpensive in its construction and can be used to advantage upon rural routes where houses are frequently located at a distance from the road, which can be easily manipulated to provide for conveying mail in either direction, and which is not liable to get out of repair.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

F or a. full understanding of the inven tion, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail conveyer constructed in accordance with the invention, portions of the track being broken away, and the track tilting lever being shown in a horizontal position by full lines, in position for moving the carriage toward the road by dotted lines, and in a reversely inclined position for moving the carriage away from the road by dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, the standard upon which the track shifting lever is mounted being shown in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective View of the end of the track shifting lever and the looped handle applied thereto.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters. 1

Specification of Lettersiatent.

Application filed June 30, 1917.

Patented Feb. 12, 1918.

Serial No. 177,934.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numerals 1 and 2 designate a pair of standards which are respectively conveniently positioned adjacent to the house and adjacent to the road. The standard 1 is provided with a vertical slot 3 within which a track shifting lever 4 is pivotally mounted at an intermediate point in its length, as indicated at 5, the ends of the track shifting lever projecting laterally upon opposite sides of the standard. One end thereof is connected to a wire track 6, while the opposite end thereof has a looped handle 7 pivotally connected thereto at 8. The wire track 6 extends from the standard 1 to the post2 which is positioned adjacent the road, being connected to the latter through the medium of a tension spring 9 which normally holds the track taut. When the track shifting lever 4 is in horizontal or inoperative position the wire track 6 is perfectly level throughout its length, the connection between the track 6 and the standard 2 being at the same elevation as the pivot bolt upon which the lever 4 is mounted. It will be obvious, however, that by swinging the lever 4 in the proper direction the end of the wire track 6 which is connected thereto can be either raised or lowered and the track 6 thereby inclined in either direction. A wheeledcarriage 10 is mounted to travel upon the wire track 6, and a basket or box 11 for the reception of mail is suspended from this carriage. This carriage can be caused to travel back and forth upon the track by the action of gravity by manipulating the lever 4t and thereby tilting the track. When the handle end of the lever 4 is swung downwardly the track will be inclined in a proper direction for causing the carriage 10 to travel toward the post 2 adjacent the road, while when the handle end of the lever is swung upwardly the track will be reversely inclined so that the carriage will travel in the opposite direction.

The action of the tension spring 9 will keep the track 6 taut at all times andcompensate for the travel of the end of the lever t in the arc of a circle. The looped handle 7 at the end. of the lever 4 is adapted to be swung in either direction, and not only provides a means for manipulating the track shifting lever, but is also adapted to engage hooked arms 12 to hold the lever at either limit of its movement. One of these hooked arms 12 is located both above and below the pivot bolt 5, and when the lever is swung downwardly for causing the carriage 10 to travel toward the post 2, the looped handle 7 can be brought into engagement with the lower hooked arm 12,1th'ereby lockingthe lever and track in an adjusted position. In a similar manner when the lever is swung upwardly to reverse the inclination of the track, the looped handle 7 can be swung around and brought into engagement with the upper hooked arm 12.

The carriage 10 may be provided with a pawl 13 which projects longitudinally from the end thereof and is adapted to engage a lug 14 on the lever 45 to hold the carriage in a position adjacent one end of thelever until the proper time for releasingthe carriage. The nose of the pawl 13 is beveled so that it will ride over the lug 14 and drop into engagement therewith when the carriage reaches the limit of its movement, the end of the carriage being lifted or swung upwardly in order to admit of the pawl being brought into a positive engagement with the lug. The momentum of the carriage as it reaches the'limit of its movement will be sufficient to insure a proper engagement of the pawl 13 with the lug. The carriage 10 is thus held in position against the end of the lever 4 and prevented from accidentally traveling outwardly upon the track 6 into an inaccessible position. However, when the lever 4 is manipulated to elevate the end of the track 6 connected thereto, the angular relation between the lever and the track will cause the nose of the pawl 13 to be lifted out of engagement with the lug 14, as indicated by dotted lines on Fig. 1. The carriage 10 is thus automatically released when the lever 4 reaches the limit of its movement, the carriage then being caused to travel toward the post 2 by the action of gravity.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is g V 1. A mail conveyer including a pair of spaced standards, a track shifting lever pivotally mounted at an intermediate point in its length upon one of the standards, a wire track extending between one end of the lever and the opposite standard and arranged to be level when the lever is horizontal, a looped handle pivotally connected to the opposite end of the track shifting lever for swinging the lever to incline the track in either direction, means upon the standard for engagement with the looped handle to hold the track shifting lever at either limit of its movement, and a wheeled carriage mounted to travel back and forth upon the track by the action of gravity.

2. A mail conveyer including a pair of spaced standards, a track shifting lever piv- 7 otally mounted at an intermediate point in its length upon one of the standards, a wire track extending between one end of the lever and the opposite standard and arranged to .be level when the lever is horizontal, a looped mounted to travel back and forth upon the 7 track by the action of gravity. 7

3. A mail conveyer including a pair of spaced standards, a track shifting lever pivotally mounted upon one of the standards, a wire track extending between the track shifting lever and the opposite standard and arranged to be level when the lever is horizontal, means for manipulating the track shifting lever to inclinethe track in either direction, a wheeled carriage mounted to travel back and forth upon the track by the action of gravity, a lug projecting from the shifting lever, and a pawl upon the carriage for engagement with the lug of the track shifting lever.

1. A mail conveyer including a pair of spaced standards, a track shifting lever pivotally mounted upon one of the standards, a wire track extending between the said lever and the opposite standard and arranged to be level when the lever is horizontal, means for manipulating the said lever to raise or lower the end of the track connected thereto and incline the track in either direction, a wheeled carriage mounted to travel back and forth uponthe track by the action of gravity, a pawl rigid with the carriage and projecting longitudinally from the track shifting lever for engagement with the pawl to hold the carriage against the lever when the In testimony whereof I have signed my i name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Wltl'lGSSES.

JOHN BILICK.

Witnesses Gannon Joivns, FILIP BILICK.

Gopies'ot this patent may be obtained for five'cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents,

Washington, D. C. 

